


Aloy's Naked Run

by muppet8003



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon-Typical Violence, Escape, Flashbacks, Gen, Mild Language, Non-Consensual Bondage, Public Nudity, Revenge, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2020-10-13 03:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20575529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muppet8003/pseuds/muppet8003
Summary: During a long trek through the desert, Aloy decides to treat herself to a bath in a secluded pond. Unfortunately, a squad of Eclipse Cultists rudely interrupt the huntress's relaxing dip, leading to a chase through the Sundom.





	1. Part 1

It was a hot, dusty day as Aloy rode through the deserts of the Carja Sundom. The Strider mounted Seeker trotted lazily along in the general direction of Meridian when she noticed a pond beneath a small waterfall. Between the desert winds, and the Cauldron she'd just explored, Aloy was hot and covered in dust, grime, and sweat. All this made the cool water look very enticing.

“…what the hell.” The redhead shrugged, steering her machine mount toward the pond with a light kick. Once they had reached the edge of the small patches of grass and bushes around the small water source, Aloy dismounted and gave her Strider a light pat. “You keep an eye out for danger, okay?”

The faceless machine shined it’s blue light impassively at Aloy and made a few noncommittal whirling and computing sounds.

“I’ve been out in the Wilds too long,” Aloy sighed moving toward the pond. She looked up at slight rise the waterfall was coming down from and then into the clear pond beneath, leading into a stream. Finding a suitably clear spot by the edge of the pond, Aloy neatly laid out her various weapons and ammunition. She was about to start removing her Carja silks when she was hit with a sudden thought and instead removed her Focus. “Not gonna have you watching this, Sylens.”

She carefully laid her prized device down next to her weapons and then went to strip off first her sandals and then the layers of armor and silk clothing. Once her garb was sitting in a neatly folded pile beside her equipment Aloy, naked as the day she was born, excitedly leapt into the pond. The water was refreshingly cool, much to the Nora girl’s delight. After several enjoyable moments submerged, Aloy swam to the top, flipping her long braided hair back with a contented sigh.

For the next several minutes, Aloy casually backstroked in small circles around the pond. It was liberating to briefly forget about her quest for answers, the threat from the Eclipse Cult, Carja politics, and all the other things she’d gotten herself tangled in. Eyes closed and ears submerged, the huntress let her concerns slip from her mind and simply listened to the muffled sounds of the small waterfall.

The blissful moment lasted until a thunderous crash range out.

Aloy jolted upright just in time to see her Strider fly by, landing in a heap where it was set upon by a pair of corrupted Watchers. They were soon joined by a Corruptor, the large, four legged machine dealing the final blow with it’s mechanical tale.

Hearing voices approaching, Aloy sank down until only her head was above the water and swam as quickly yet quietly as she could to the edge of the pond, bracing herself against a rocky outcrop at the water’s edge. The nude redhead dared a peak over the edge of the rock and confirmed her worst fear. The evil machines were accompanied by several Eclipse cultists. She dropped back down with a hissed “Shit!”

"Fan out brothers,” a commanding voice ordered, “That Strider had blue tendrils, that means the savage girl Master Helis seeks must be close by.”

Aloy nervously glanced toward where she’d left her clothing and weapons, bracing herself against the rock. Hearing several sets of footsteps approach, Aloy took a deep breath and sank under the water. She swam to the bottom of the pond and quickly ran her hands along the muddy floor, kicking up a cloud of mud around the redhead just as a pair of shadows appeared over the pond. 

The Nora girl’s lunges began to burn as one long moment after another ticked by. Finally, the pair of shadows left and Aloy allowed herself to exhale, just enough to ease the discomfort. Sticking to the now murky pond bottom, Aloy swam toward where she believed to be the spot she’d laid out her things. Slowly surfacing, Aloy breathed deeply in from her nose and scanned the area. Not seeing any nearby Eclipse, she rose head and shoulders out of the water and quickly grabbed her Focus. 

She’d barely resecured the device to the side of her head when the tip of a pickax was pressed up under her chin, forcing her to look up at the Eclipse digger.

“Looks like we’ve caught you with your pants down, savage,” the masked man said, “Along with everything else.”

Aloy stared hatefully back up at the cultist, the beginnings of a desperate plan forming in her head. The moment the Eclipse digger looked up to call to his comrades, Aloy knocked the pickax away form her face and than bashed him in the back of his left knee as hard as she could with the both hands. The surprised cultist dropped into a kneeling position with a grunt, whereupon Aloy grabbed him by the shoulders and yanked him down into the pond with her with a loud splash.

Once again submerged and rendered almost blind by kicked up mud and bubbles, Aloy pushed the struggling cultist down toward the bottom of the pond. Fearing their struggle had likely drawn attention, the naked redhead tried to hold the Eclipse soldier down while frantically feeling for any other weapon he may have had on him. Feeling the handle of a knife, the Seeker seized the weapon and thrust it deep it’s owner’s stomach. As her attacker let out a muffled yell, Aloy thrust the knife between the man’s ribs. She was rewarded with a pained sound, muffled by the water, just as shadows passed over the combatants.

The other Eclipse cultists had gathered around.

Already feeling her lungs start to burn, Aloy jabbed the knife into the man again and quickly looked for an area of the pond to swim to. Above the Nora girl, two Rattler armed cultists fired several volleys of darts into the pond only for the projectiles to ineffectually slow in the water. Aloy allowed herself a smirk as she quickly swam to the river connected to the pond. Then the silhouette of the Corrupter appeared above.

The four legged war machine launched several grenades into the pound and Aloy let out a watery echoed scream as they exploded. The shockwaves violently through the dazed huntress around, though fortunately also pushed her toward current of the river. The edges of her vision were already blurring when she noticed which way the bubbles around her were going. Now knowing which way was up, the nude redhead weakly swam to the top, thankfully taking a deep breath when she broke the surface.

“There! Shoot her!” Aloy fearfully looked back to see an Eclipse officer pointing to her with an intimidating machete like sword baring wicked looking hook on one side. She swore and swam away as quickly as she could as arrows, darts, grenades, and even the energy projectiles launched by Watchers flew past her. Finally, she was able to climb on to the bank across from her pursuers and fled, dripping wet and bare, into the desert.

This was to be the start of a long, difficult trip back to Meridian.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After fleeing the squad of Eclipse, Aloy stops to rest and take stock of her situation, only to find her tormentors are more persistent then she first thought.

Sweat poured off Aloy’s naked body like like water from a jug and her bare feet were sore from trekking through the hot sand. It had been at least two hours and Aloy was getting desperate for some shade to rest under. Just as she was starting to seriously consider burying herself in the sand, the young huntress spotted a patch of grass and a small tree. 

Reinvigorated, the redhead dashed toward the tree, collapsing gratefully into gras once she was under the cool shade of the tree. Feeling relatively safe, Aloy settled on her back and took stock of her situation. “Let’s see, I’ve lost all my food, water supplies, and weapons” she sighed, “…I had to leave my spear behind. Don’t even have any shards. Okay, I’ve still got my Focus, that’ll get me safely back to Meridian.”

“I forget anything?” She tapped her chin and looked over her sweaty bare body. “…oh yeah. I’m naked!”

Aloy slammed her head down on the sandy ground with an aggravated sigh, already humiliated at the knowledge that she’d eventually have to steal or beg for cloths. She could almost feel Rost giving her a disapproving look from the afterlife for even getting herself into such a predicament. She was just considering using the tunnels she’d used to stop Dervahl to sneak back into Meridian when she heard a familiar fast pasted clanking.

Suddenly alert, the Nora girl rolled onto her hands and knees, sinking as low as she could and tucking her arms and legs under her to be as small as she possibly could. Despite the hot day, a chill ran down Aloy’s spine as the same Corruptor from before moved determinedly toward her hiding spot. The large machine came to a stop just short of the patch of grass, it’s vicious mechanical tail swaying back and forth. Several long moments passed as the machine stood seemingly looking right at Aloy with it’s single beady red eye. At last, the large machine seemed satisfied and skittered off, only to reveal the Eclipse Cultists and Corrupted Watchers approaching.

Suppressing a shouted curse, Aloy remained huddled down in the grass. She was never more thankful for the masks the Eclipse members wore and Faro Corp’s tendency to cut corners. The tall grass kept her hidden, her only defense at this point, the Seeker bitterly admitted to herself.

Moving as slowly as possible, she scanned the surrounding area and took stock of her pursuers. She was somewhat relieved to see they still only had the same three machines. Next, Aloy got an idea of how many cultists where after her. She quickly recognized the officer with the brutal sword, beside him was a one of the large Eclipse heavy gunners she’d learned to dread with a Deathbringer Gun. The huntress spotted a sling and a few Rattlers, but most of the others were armed with bows-

One of them had her spear!

Aloy’s fists clenched angrily at the sight one of her most prized possessions, that Rost had made for her, being carried by an Eclipse sniper. She took a few deep threats, furious to be so helpless. Once she had her angry in check, the Nora girl noticed the heavy turning toward the commander, as if to give a report, and inched as close as she dared to listen in.

“Commander, we haven’t found the savage,” the large masked man reported, “Should we return to camp?”

“No, I’ve received orders from Master Helis himself,” the commander replied, gesturing to his own Focus, “We’re to return with the savage’s head on a spear or not at all.”

“Understood, sir,” the heavy replied, “I’ll set the men to searching for more tracks.”

“Not gonna be any to find, assholes,” Aloy whispered, slowly backing away. Keeping track of the twelve yellow silhouettes around her, the girl moved through the grass, spotting another patch of long grass nearby, with a rocky outcrop beyond that. She made her way to the edge and eyed the gap. 

Two meters had never seemed so long.

Readying herself for a sprint, Aloy took note of the patrolling cultists, stomping Watchers, and skittering Corruptor around her. Seeing a Corrupted Watcher approaching, allowed the machine to pass, knowing she’d have to pass through the trail of sickly red waste he’d leave behind. Still, she’d have to hurry before any of her other nearby enemies looked toward the area between the two patches of grass.

The Corrupted Machine stomped by and Aloy made her move. Time seemed to slow as the bare skinned redhead rushed forward, feeling the most vulnerable she had since she was a child. She noticed the Watcher raise itself up in her peripheral just as she plowed through the wriggling trail of red and black tendrils. She slide into the grass as quietly as she could and bite her lip against the acidic burning feeling on her feet and lower legs. Meanwhile, the Corrupted Watcher moved to investigate the noise. 

Aloy badly wanted to try to rub away the irritating substance, but didn’t dare move as the two legged Machine raised itself up to scan the area. A human likely would have moved into the grass to search more thoroughly, but fortunately Machines lacked gut instinct. Finding nothing obviously out of the ordinary, the Watcher lowered itself back down and returned to its patrol. 

Once it was far enough away, Aloy wiped as much of the corrosive substance away as it as she could as the rest dissolved away. Thankful that the burns seemed to only be superficial, she continued to move slowly through the tall grass. Coming to the edge farthest from the searching Cultists, Aloy was about to slip away when she noticed a Rattler armed Eclipse follower approaching.

“Dammit, dammit,” the frustrated Seeker muttered looking at the ground, and spotting a pair of fist sized rocks. Grabbing one in each hand, she threw one of the stones just on the other side of the outcrop.

Just as Aloy hoped, the Eclipse trooper turned to the sound of the rock clattering to the ground and cautiously went to investigate. The Nora girl herself tightly held the other rock in her right hand and silently approached the cultist from behind. Once she’d closed most of the distance, she rushed forward and swung the rock at the back of the man’s head. The Rattler armed Eclipse man turned at the last time moment, just in time to see Aloy inadvertently bash him in his masked face.

The surprised militant stumbled back with the wet crunching sound of his nose breaking. Aloy was more then a little surprised herself, but nonetheless pressed her attack, bashing the cultist again, knocking his head back, then again aiming for his now exposed throat. 

Groaning, the man reflexively reach for his neck with one hand while his weapon hung limping in his other. Seeing this, Aloy dropped the stone and seized the Rattler, before violently kicking the militant in the stomach. Stumbling back and falling to the ground, the Eclipse follower looked up at the naked red head standing over him just before she shot him full of metal darts with his own weapon. Aloy pelted her enemy with another volley of darts, sighing with relief when he went still. 

“What was that!?”

“Over there!”

Aloy nervously glanced back toward the other cultists, hearing that her scuffle had drawn attention. She considered bolting into the desert again but hesitated, looking at the fallen cultist. Moving quickly, the huntress crouched beside the Eclipse body, quickly unhooking his cloak and pulling off his sandals. Hearing the other militants approach, she quickly grabbed his canteen and a bandoleer of darts. Holding her new weapon and sandals in her right hand and tossing the other pilfered items over her shoulder, Aloy quickly slipped away as the other cultists and their machines approached.


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Traveling through the desert, Aloy experiences a series of ups and downs.

While daytime in the Sundom’s deserts could be burning hot, nights were very, very cold. This is what was on Aloy’s mind as she shivered under her pilfered cloak. While she’d been happy to have some protection from the harsh sun (turned inside out because she refused to display the Eclipse Emblem), she had soon learned it made a poor blanket. The huntress had had to curl into a fetal position just to be able to fully cover herself with the thin material. While she had managed to find a small ditch, out of the whistling winds, Aloy nonetheless spend the night with her teeth chattering and stomach rumbling from hunger. Even the canteen she’d taken was only about half full, meaning she had to be careful about every sip.

It was a long, near sleepless night.

Sunrise found a stiff Aloy cautiously climbing out of the ditch, covering herself as best she could with the small cloak and tying her new sandals back on. She took a sip from the canteen and patted her stomach. “Okay, first things first, I need to find something to eat.”

After locating a rabbit with a few scans of her Focus, Aloy quietly stalked toward it with practiced movements, staying low and using grass, large rocks, and other cover to get close to her prey. Before long, the redhead grinned as she looked around a boulder and set eyes on the rabbit, not three paces away. She’d of preferred to have a bow, but had no choice but to make do with the captured Rattler. She took carful aim and fired.

The rabbit looked up in surprise as several darts peppered the ground around it, then ran off. Completely unharmed.

“Dammit!” Aloy cursed, springing to her feet. The annoyed Seeker resisted the urge to smash her only weapon against the boulder and took a breath to calm down. It seemed she’d just have to continue her journey hungry. 

Consulting the map on her Focus for the fastest route, Aloy was able to find a narrow pass through the nearby hills that would take her directly to the road leading back to Meridian. The girl was tired, hot, and hungry, but now having a light at the end of the tunnel spurned her own. Taking caution to avoid any wondering machines, the Seeker was still able to move through the desert at a brisk pace, arriving at the pass at midday. With the sun beating down on her, the redhead glanced down at her bare body, pulling the cloak around herself with a sigh. “Talanah and Vanasha are never going to let me forget this.”

Any further thoughts of impending embarrassment were interrupted when Aloy heard a rumbling footstep from around a sharp turn in the pass. The huntress hardly had time to duck behind a large stone before a Thunderjaw stomped into the pass. Sensing movement, the massive machine trudged over to investigate. Aloy ducked further down behind the boulder as the earth beneath her rumbled. 

“This. Isn’t. Happening!” Aloy seethed as the Thunderjaw examined the stone, it’s many weapons at the ready. Seeing several loose stones nearby, the Nora girl hastily fired her Rattler at them, being rewarded with a miniature rockslide. The Thunderjaw whirled toward the new disturbance with a volley of discs and laser fire. Not wasting a moment, Aloy ran as fast as she could back the way she’d come. The redhead emerged panting back out into the open, leaning on her knees and muttering angrily.

With the pass no longer an option, the young huntress would now have to take a long, winding route around the hills and through the desert. She took a quick sip from her stolen canteen and set off. Aloy hadn’t gone far before her stomach started rumbling loudly.

“I’m going to have to eat something,” the almost naked girl muttered, glancing down at the Rattler, “But I can’t rely on this and there isn’t much vegetation out here…think, Aloy…think…”

Ten Years Earlier

“There are ways to catch game without the need for a bow and arrow, Aloy,” Rost explained as his nine year old charge followed behind along a stream. He gestured to some nearby stones and branches, “Sometimes, all you need are these.”

“Rocks and sticks?” The girl asked skeptically

“You’ll see,” Rost promised. “Follow.”

“Sure,” young Aloy muttered. She trailed after her guardian, wishing they would return to training for the Proving. Finally, Rost knelt down beside a large, flat rock, lifting it up to reveal a recently dead rabbit. The big man smirked at little Aloy’s surprised look.

“There’s two more downstream,” Rost informed the redhead, “Find and skin them and I’ll teach you how the trap works over dinner.”

Present

“Two sticks, grass and roots for bait, and a big, flat stone…now just wait,” with that, Aloy moved into a nearby patch of red grass. She busied herself looking through files saved to her Focus, periodically looking around for any Machines that may have gotten too close for comfort. It took time, but the huntress was rewarded with the sound of the stone dropping and a quick, surprised yelp. Aloy smiled, “Thanks, Rost.”

She was able to skin her catch, a rabbit, using a dart from the Rattler and made a small fire using grass and branches from one of the few trees that grew in the desert. The sun was just setting when Aloy took her first grateful bit of roasted rabbit.

Feeling the night’s chill coming on, Aloy scooted closer to her little fire and wrapped the small cloak tighter around herself. She was just about to continue her meal when she noticed movement in her peripheral vision. She glanced to her right and froze as four armed bandits stepped into the light of her fire.

One of them, a scar faced middle aged woman stepped forward and smirked. “Evening Sweetie, mind if we escort you back to our camp?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shacking things up a bit with this chapter. My original plan didn't really have Aloy suffering any setbacks, and after some brainstorming, prompted by an exchange with a friend over on DA, I got the idea for this and the next few chapters. Mostly happy with how this came out, with the possible exception of he scene with the Thunderjaw. I basically ended up taking it out only to put it back in again and I can't shake the thought that the original version was better. In any case, I hope you enjoyed this, dear reader.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now a captive of the bandits, Aloy makes a bit for freedom.

“C’mon, sweetie! Keep up!” The scar faced bandit woman called in a sickly sweet voice, coyly yanking the rope tied around Aloy’s neck. Staring daggers at her captors, the redhead growled into the greasy rag stuffed in her mouth, secured by another tied around her head. Aloy’s wrists were tightly bound behind her back and her knees had also been lashed together, allowing her to walk but not run. The bandits had tossed her stolen cloak onto her campfire but at least lefter her pilfered sandals. The female bandit leader simply smiled and gave Aloy’s makeshift leash another tug.

“Why’s she running around naked?” a bandit with an eyepatch and a bow asked, “I don’t get it.”

“She’s Nora,” a bandit heavy shrugged, “They’re even more savage then we are.”

From there the four bandits marched their captive along, weaving around machine herds and chitchatting. They group seemed to drift back and worth between taunting Aloy and chatting about various subjects. Their scarred leader in particular seemed to enjoy goading their captive.

After a short eternity, Aloy noticed the light of several torches and campfires in the darkness her abductors seemed to be leading her toward. As the quartet of robbers and their unwilling guest approached, the makeshift walls, spikes, and crude banners of a bandit camp came into clear view. Once they’d gotten to within earshot, the scarred bandit leader called to the guards. “We’re comin’ in guys! And we got a hot li’l commodity with us!”

The huntress’s cheeks burned nearly as red as her hair as she was paraded through the bandit camp, enduring the catcalls and wolf-whistles of various bandits, both men and women, all around her. More then one even smacked her bare rump, chuckling at her angry muffled curses.

Aloy never thought she’d miss being shunned as an outcast.

The captive Seeker was finally dealt a small mercy when she was led into a secluded area with small cages for prisoners. Thankfully, none were occupied, yet. The scarred bandit woman smiled as she grabbed Aloy roughly by the back of the neck and forced her to crouch down and enter the cage. She then patted the freckled girl on the head saying, “You stay here, sweetie. I think you and me might have some fun before I sell you.”

With that the woman left, an ax wielding bandit closing the cage and tying the door shut before following her. Aloy seethed helplessly for sometime, but finally gave in to her exhaustion. After a restless sleep, the huntress was awoken by sunlight shinning on her. She murmured into her gag as she roused, shifting onto her side to look around an get an idea of her situation. There was a guard at the entrance to the area she was being kept in, but no bandits near the cages themselves.

Not wasting any time, Aloy pressed her legs up against her chest and, with effort, was able to move her hands around and under her bottom so they were now in front. After checking to make sure her actions weren’t noticed, she pulled the rag tied over her mouth down and spat out the one stuffed in her mouth. She took a moment to roll her sore jaw and then began trying to pull the ropes tied around her wrists loose with her teeth. She was just getting her hands free when she noticed someone approaching.

Aloy quickly pulled the rag now hanging around her neck back up over her mouth and shuffled into into a corner of the cage, hiding the other rag, the ropes, and her now free hands behind her. The naked Nora’s heart sank when she saw the female bandit leader approaching, a bowl in her hands. The scarred woman smiled down at her captive, her eyes traveling up and down the redhead’s body. Aloy suppressed the urge to cover herself and glared at the woman.

“Feeding time, sweetie,” the bandit leader said, crouching down and passing the bowl what Aloy could now see was a grey stew through the bars. “I’d ungag you, but I’d prefer not to get my fingers bite. I’m sure you’ll figure something out once you’re hungry enough.”

“Boss!” The one eyed archer called, entering the prison area, “The crews are ready, they want to know where they should go hunting.”

“Huh, duty calls,” the bandit woman sighed, rising and looking down at Aloy, “Until next time.”

Aloy watched the bandits leave and silently counted to ten before moving. She quickly untied her bound knees and removed the gag. Now completely unbound, she settled on her knees in front of the cage door. With some effort, she was able to get the door open and scanned the area with her Focus.

Not seeing any bandits too close by, she exited her cage and cautiously walked out the the prisoner area.

And right into a Shock Trap.

Aloy yelled out in surprise and pain as electricity ripped through her body, collapsing facedown once the trap’s power ran out. The ginger girl’s dazed mind started to clear just enough to see a shadow pass over her.

“Going somewhere, sweetie?”

Then she was bashed upside the head and everything went dark.


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after her failed escape attempt, Aloy gets another chance at freedom from an unexpected source.

The first thing Aloy noticed was a throbbing pain in the back of her head, followed shortly afterward by a soreness in her arms and wrists. The flame haired huntress’s vision gradually focused in to reveal the inside of a makeshift sleeping chambers. There was a homemade bed in front of her, staked with furs, silks, and blankets making it look more like a nest then a bed. There were also various weapons, trinkets, and other items scattered around the room, which apparently was located in a ruin of the Metal World.

‘Oh crap, this is the leader’s quarters,’ Aloy thought, just as she realized she was still nude.

Now fully conscious, Aloy glanced up to see she was hanging from a chain shackled to her wrists, connected to a hook bolted to the ceiling. Fortunately, she had just enough slack to stand, taking some of the strain off her arms. After an indiscernible amount of time, Aloy was just starting to fantasize about Nil slaughtering the scar faced bandit chief and her cronies when she heard voices approaching. “I don’t get it, why bother with the whole song and dance?”

“Every slave tries to escape once,” the bandit leader’s voice explained, “this way we get it out of their system, and it’s a good way to break their spirit.”

Aloy gripped her chains tightly and glared at the curtain covering the entrance when another voiced sounded from outside. “Boss! This…uh, guy wants to talk to you.”

“I understand you and your brigands recently captured a heretic with red hair.” A new voice stated without preamble. Aloy quickly recognized it as the Eclipse leader who’d been hunting her. “I need you to turn her over to me.”

“Hey, you want one of my captives, make an offer.” The scarred woman’s voice replied, “Otherwise, you can fuck right off.”

Several moments of tense silence passed, until finally the Eclipse captain frustratedly said, “Very well.”

‘Eclipse aren’t the type to take no for an answer,’ Aloy thought as she heard the zealot stalk off. ‘I’ve got to get out of here.’

The Nora girl closed her eyes and went limp again, letting herself hang from the chains again.She heard the bandit leader enter and approach her. She stayed still until she felt cold water being poured over her head. Aloy was only half acting when she lifted her head up in shock, looking up in surprise at the bandit chief’s smug look.

“You ready to be a good girl, sweetie?” The scarred woman asked, her tone sickly sweet.

Swallowing her pride, Aloy made sure to not quite meet the scarred woman’s face and meekly said “…yes.”

“Excellent,” the older woman smiled. She reached up and unhooked the chain binding Aloy’s hands and used it to tug the naked red head toward her bed. With a sharp pull and swing of her arm, the bandit leader forced Aloy down onto the heap of blankets. The woman gave the huntress a look that was equal parts contemplative, appraising, and predatory and thought aloud. “Y’know, I just might keep you. Red hair is very rare, making you a fine trophy, and with a little training you’ll be a great bedwarmer. But then, all that will raise the price I could get for you…decisions, decisions.”

Before the situation could escalate, in that direction, further, both women flinched at the loud crash from outside the woman’s bed chambers, followed shouting, explosions, and the sound of energy weapons.

“What the hell?!” The bandit woman exclaimed, looking back toward the entrance.

Just moments before Aloy swung her chain into the scarred woman’s face.

Aloy’s captor collapsed to the floor, whereupon she gave the older woman another whack. The Seeker resisted the urge to keep bashing the bandit leader’s face and dropped into a kneeling position. After some rifling through the dazed woman’s pockets, she was rewarded with the discovering of a small key.

After quickly unlocked her shackles and tossing them aside, Aloy, pulled a blanket over herself, grabbed a bow and quiver and moved toward the curtain covering the doorway. She peaked out just as the scarred woman began to rise to see a desperate battle between the bandit clan and her Eclipse pursuers, now accompanied by a pair of Corrupted Ravagers.

Aloy took a deep breath slipped out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm getting into the busy season at work. Additionally, I'm trying my hand at an online writing challenge; write a novel before the end of November. Still, I do want to continue this story, and so put out this little chapter.


	6. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free from the Bandit Leader's grasp, Aloy now has to fight her way out of the besieged bandit camp.

Aloy ducked behind a makeshift shack just as one of the Corrupted Ravagers cut down a pair of bandits with a volley from it’s back mounted gun. All around the huntress, the camp had fallen into chaos, projectiles of every kind flew in all directions and fires and explosions ripped through the makeshift camp. 

The redhead dashed through the crossfire, blue energy shots flying over her head. Aloy huddled under the blanket she’d taken from the bandit leader’s home, trying to be as small as she possible could. To her left the bandit heavy who’d been there for her initial capture let of a volley with his Firespitter, managing to kill two Eclipse.

It was a short lived moment for the bandits. The heavy had barley fired off his shots when another blast from a Corrupted Ravager cut the large bandit down. The machine continued to sweep the area, forcing Aloy to drop face down on the dirt as most of her cover was blasted away. When she dared to looked up, the first thing she saw was the dead heavy’s Firespitter just paces away.

“I am so sick of all this crap,” Aloy grumbled. She got to her feet and quickly approached the heavy weapon. It was a very heavy, but Aloy could manage it, propping the weapon against her side. The fire haired girl took aim and fired at the large feline like machine without a moment’s hesitation. The first small missile blasted the heavy weapon of the Corrupted Ravager’s back, the next two ripped into the metal monster. The damaged machine staggered back, rapidly being engulfed in flames, as Aloy let loose the last few rockets. She dropped the Firespitter and quickly replaced it with the burning Ravager’s dislodged cannon.

Seeing the flaming Ravager collapse into a narrow pathway, effectively cutting the bandit camp in two, Aloy turned to make her way out of the bandit haven. Lugging the cannon along as best she could, the Seeker fired off a pair of quick bursts, easily cutting down one of the Eclipse’s Corrupted Watchers and a bandit archer. She slowly made her way toward the camp’s rear entrance, her pilfered quiver and bow swinging on her hip. Knowing she had no friends in the battlefield, the redhead sent off a blast of laser fire at anything that moved.

She’d just made it to the camp’s gate when she heard a loud bang behind her. Aloy turned to see that the Eclipse squad’s Corrupter had jumped over the burning wreck of the Ravager, which was now spreading to the rest of the camp, and was now approaching. The redhead dropped her captured cannon to dodge a volley of grenades, rolling to cushion her landing. 

Aloy quickly drew her captured bow and notched an arrow, glad to see the quiver she’d grabbed was full of fire arrows. Seeing the Corruptor’s cooling rode rise from it’s head, the Nora girl took quick but careful aim and loosed a burning arrow at the otherwise formidable machine’s vulnerable component. The Corruptor staggered back on it's four legs, sparks and fire flying from it’s inner components. Not letting up, the Nora girl again heaved the Ravager Cannon back up and blasted most of it’s remaining charge into the damaged Corruptor. Finally letting up, Aloy lowered her weapon and looked over the ruined fallen machine with satisfaction. She turned to make her leave, only to hastily raise the cannon again.

Standing only a few paces away, sword in hand and still bleeding from her nose, was the scar faced bandit leader. She was flanked by the eye patched bandit and a few other surviving members of her clan. Finding herself and her thugs suddenly looking down a heavy weapon, the leader dropped her sword. She took a step forward raised her right hand placatingly, though Aloy noticed she was reaching for something on her hip in the corner of the redhead’s eye. The scared woman smiled have nervously and said “…hey, easy there, sweetie.”

“My name is Aloy.” The redhead sternly said.

The bandit chief drew the thing on her hip, a knife, and attempted to rush Aloy. However, the prepared huntress set loose with the cannon’s remaining energy, cutting down the bandit leader for good. Her one eyed second in command was also killed in the quick burst, the rest fleeing from the burning camp forever.

The red haired brave dropped the spent weapon and made her own leave of the camp. She took a quick moment to gain her bearings and headed toward Meridian. She was going to get back to the city and nothing was going to stop her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another chapter! As of now, Aloy is DONE with all this crap.
> 
> Originally, this was basically the second part of chapter 5, which I rushed out when I didn't have much time at all to work on this story but still wanted to squeeze out at least one chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one, dear readers, and stay tuned for more.
> 
> Also, I've been thinking about editing all the chapters together into one long story a little while after I finally finish this story. What you think, dear readers?


	7. Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Meridian finally in sight, Aloy is offered a ride by a kind old man. Seems things are finally looking up for the young huntress...right?

Trekking through the desert, it seemed the end of Aloy’s odyssey was finally coming to an end. She noticed the pass where she’d encountered the Thunderjaw and continued on her way without another thought. She glanced down at the blanket wrapped around her body, secured with a belt around her waist, and sighed. “At least I’ll get to go shopping when this is all over.”

Moving toward a dusty old road, the Nora girl’s spirits rose when she spotted a small cart pulled by a pair of goats. She broke into a sprint toward the cart, waving and calling to the owner. Thankfully, the old man riding the small vehicle pulled to a stop and regarded the sweaty, almost naked young woman with a puzzled expression. Aloy took a moment to catch her breath and looked up at the aging merchant with a hopeful expression. “Excuse me, sir. I’ve, uh…I’ve been having some trouble out here. Can you please give me a ride back to Meridian?”

“Of course, dear,” the old man said climbing down from his cart. He pulled off his worn old duster and held it out to Aloy in offering, “Here, take this.”

“Thank you,” Aloy breathed, grateful and relieved to finally have some help. 

The aging merchant turned away respectfully, busying himself with rearranging the various machine parts and trinkets to make room for her. Aloy had just buttoned the duster, having tossed the blanket on the cart, when he finished and turned back. He gestured for Aloy to climb on saying, “I know a lot of the other merchants in Meridian Village, I can work out a deal to get you some cloths, probably a meal-ARRHHHGG!!”

Aloy recoiled in shock as an arrow suddenly buried itself in the kind old man’s throat. She quickly grabbed the aged merchant and pulled him behind the old cart, hearing the man’s goats cry out as they were similarly cut down. The redhead managed to get the dying man to cover only for him to take his last dying gasp moments later.

“Dammit…” Aloy softly muttered, pulling the arrow from the old man’s throat. It was long, the kind used with a Sharpshot Bow. She looked back down at the dead man, gently patting his shoulder. “I’m sorry I got you involved in this.” 

She scanned the area with her Focus, quickly noticing three Eclipse on a nearby foothill. Further scanning of the area revealed several boulders and patches of grass and a herd of Grazers by the road toward Meridian. The young Seeker was about to formulate a plan when she heard three impacts on the other side of the cart, followed by the crackling of fire and rising smoke. 

The volley of fire arrows had succeeded in setting Aloy’s only cover alight, but it also created a literal smoke screen for her. She quickly grabbed her pilfered bow and few remaining arrows from the burning cart's seat and ducked back down as a pot shot from the Eclipse flew by. Aloy waited as the fire grew, noting which way the smoke was carrying the grey smoke. Back toward the desert as it turned out. Once she was fairly certain the smoke would give her adequate cover, the flame haired girl took a deep breath and readied herself to run.

“Gotta be fast,” Aloy muttered as she broke into a run through the smoke. As she’d hoped, the three Eclipse cultists either didn’t see her at first or were surprised by her gambit. Either way, the flame haired girl was able to sprint toward the nearest stone for several yards before the an arrow flew just behind her. She dove toward the large stone, inadvertently ducking a second arrow as it flew past. The Nora girl briefly slide along the dusty ground until she was behind the cover of the rock. Aloy briefly coughed and waved dust away from her face, just before noticing an arrow stuck in the bottom of the rough worn duster she was wearing.

Steeling herself, Aloy tucked the arrow into her quiver and did another quick scan of the area. She looked back up to where she’d previously spotted the trio of militants, she noticed two quickly making their way down the hill and toward the old road, no doubt moving to cut off her path toward Meridian. The last one remained in his sniper’s perch.

“Okay, have to take this guy out,” Aloy muttered. With a sigh, the huntress pulled of the old duster and put her bow under the collar to prop it up. She carefully lifted the worn coat up until it was struck with an arrow. Without a moment's hesitation, the Nora brave sprang up and dashed toward a patch of tall grass. As she ran, Aloy counted off, “One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand five-"

Just then an arrow hit the ground just behind her.

Aloy slid into the grass, slowly belly crawling through it. Fortunately, there was a light breeze causing the grass to sway and mostly masking her movements. Aloy pulled the duster back one, observing to herself, “Five seconds between each shot.”

Pulling her legs up under herself, the freckled huntress took a deep breath and whipped her arm threw the grass as quickly as she possibly could. Sure enough, a long arrow landed in the grass right next to her a moment later. With not time to loose, Aloy again sprinted through open, this time toward a long tree, desperate to close the distance.

“One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three, one thousand four, one thousand fi-“

The ginger huntress stumbled when an arrow landed just in front of her. She regained her footing and attempted to barrel through the last few yards to the tree, letting out a pained hiss when the Eclipse sniper’s next shot grazed her left arm just before she threw herself against the trunk of the tree.

Aloy did a quick inspection of the wound, sighing in relief when she found it to be only a cut. Being careful to remain behind the tree, she looked for the Eclipse man with her Focus. Spotting him, the redhead drew and notched an arrow and prepared to make her move. In one fluid motion, Aloy stepped out from behind the tree and went down into a kneeling position. She quickly drew and aimed her own bow as a long arrow flew over her head. A moment later, she fired back, hitting the man in the gut.

Not letting up, Aloy quickly advanced, taking cover behind another boulder and firing another arrow. She was rewarded with a shout from the Eclipse sharpshooter. The fiery redhead quickly made her way up the hill to the sniper’s position. She attempted to rush the man but jumped back when he swung at her with a spear.

A moment later, Aloy recognized it as HER spear.

“That’s mine!” Aloy snapped as she drew the arrow the wounded cultist had used to kill the kind old merchant. Rushing forward, she deflected a jab from the cultist and tackled him to the ground. The huntress looked down at the militant’s mask as he plunged the arrow into his throat. “This is yours.”

Once the sniper had gone still, Aloy retrieved her prized weapon, the familiar weight feeling good in her hands. Remembering the other two Eclipse, the redhead spotted them with her Focus, as well as a Grazer that had wonder next to the tall grass they were hidden in. Smirking devilishly, Aloy searched through the dead cultist’s quiver and was glad to find a fire arrow. Rising to her full height, Aloy looked down at the two Eclipse, took careful aim with the fire arrow, and fired.

Several long, tense moments passed without anything seeming to happen. Finally, one of the cultists tauntingly called up to Aloy, “You missed, Savage!”

“Did I?” Aloy called back, gesturing to the side of the pair of cultists.

The Eclipse archers followed her gesture to see a very alarmed Grazer mere paces away, one of the canisters of blaze on it’s back punctured by the flaming arrow.

“OH SHIT!!”

BOOOMM!!

As the bodies of the two cultists were consumed by flames, Aloy took her spear back in hand and weighed her options. She was close, close enough she could just see the types of Meridian’s towers in the distance. But there were still a few Eclipse and corrupted machines after her and they’d continue to be after her every step of the way.

Clutching her spear resolutely, Aloy’s mind was made up. It was time to end this chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally posting a new chapter after a bit of a hiatus! Only one more to go, dear readers!
> 
> This was actually one of the first ideas I ever came up with for this story, so it was good to finally get it written and posted. Also, if anyone thought Aloy's line about shopping was a bit odd, I always like to dress Aloy in outfits for whichever tribe I'm in the territory of. As a result, I ended up spending a lot of money on cloths and ended up developing a head canon that Aloy's one girly habit is that she loves to go shopping for new outfits.
> 
> Just one chapter to go, dear readers, stay tuned.


	8. Part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having recovered her spear, Aloy is ready to finally ride herself of the Eclipse team that's been hunting her across the desert.

Aloy belly crawled through a patch of red grass and eyed the last of party hunting her. The leader. A Deathbringer gunner. A Slinger. A Corrupted Ravager. A corrupted Watcher. 

“Alright, there’s nothing to worry about.” Aloy reassured herself, “I’ve killed five of them, they’ve killed none of me.”

With a deep breath, the red haired young huntress rose to her full height, took careful aim, and fired an arrow at the Corrupted Ravager. In moments, all eyes of the Eclipse party were on Aloy. She shot them a challenging smile and asked, “Looking for me?”

A moment later, the former Outcast was sprinting away from the cultists and their machine companions. As she expected, they wasted no time in firing off a barrage of lasers, bullets, bombs, and other missiles. Taking full advantage of the years she spent training under Rost, Aloy zigzagged back and forth, making use of any potential cover she passed.

The Eclipse were never far behind Aloy as she raced through the desert, her found duster flying behind her. More then once, a bullet or a laser blast snapped past her close enough that she felt the wind. Spotting her destination, Aloy sprinted forward with renewed vigor.

She ran into the entrance of a now familiar pass, dashing through the narrow mountain passage until she reached the large rock she’d taken cover behind the first time she’d been in the pass. She clutched her spear in one hand and leaned against the boulder to catch her breath, knowing she’d soon have company.

Sure enough, in short order her Eclipse pursuers and their corrupted machines cautiously made their way into the pass after Aloy. She remained leaned against the boulder, her spear propped against her shoulder, and spoke with confidence, “I’m going to give you one chance. Leave me alone. No more of you will have to die if you just go back to Sunfall. Or you can give up this cultist crap and go home to your families. Just leave me alone.”

The Shadow Carja militants stood silently for several moments, their machines impassively waiting for instructions from their masters. Finally, the captain took a step forward.

“When I heard that one savage was causing the Eclipse so much trouble, I didn’t believe it. Yet here I am, over half my team slaughtered by a naked girl.” The masked commander stated with cold anger, “And even now, hopelessly trapped and outnumbered, you have the gall to dictate terms to us.”

“So that’s a ‘no,’ then?” Aloy sighed, quietly adding “Sounded like a ‘no’.”

The cultists began to train their weapons on Aloy, but before they could she brought her hand to her mouth and let out a loud whistle. In a moment, the ground rumbled and moments later the Thunderjaw that inhabited the pass stomped into view.

It was sporting blue tendrils. 

Aloy saw the Corrupted Ravager torn apart by laser fire and disks. She wasn’t quite sure what happened to the big man with the Deathbringer gun but it seemed to turn him inside out. The leader was thrown to the ground facedown by an explosion. By now a great deal of dust and rubble was being thrown around, preventing Aloy from seeing what became of the slinger or the Corrupted Watcher.

Stepping forward to block the Thunderjaw’s aim at the leader, Aloy leveled the tip of her spear at the Eclipse officers masked head. He looked up at her just as the dust began to settle. Aloy stared back fiercely and said a single word, “Strip.”

“What?” 

“Take off your mask, your cloak, your sandals, and your pants. Right now.” Aloy ordered, to which the commander nervously obeyed. Once the man was down to his underwear, the seeker stood over him and carefully spoke. “When I’m done talking, I’m going to get out of the big guy’s way. You’re going to want to take a left once you get out of the pass. From there it’s a long hike back to Sunfall…assuming you make it out of the pass. I’m done talking.”

“Wait!”

Aloy turned and walked away without looking back, behind her she could hear the man screaming and the sound of the Thunderjaw’s many weapons.

A few hours later, dusty, sweating, and wearing nothing but a duster and a pair of sandals, Aloy approached the main gate to Meridian, far past caring about the odd looks she was getting from everyone she passed.

She smiled when she spotted a certain Oseram vanguardsman standing at the gate, looking relieved, shocked, and amused all at once. She approached her friend and said, “Hello, Erend. If you’re okay with paying, I think it’s finally time we had that drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the final chapter of Aloy's Naked Run! I hope you enjoyed it more then she did, dear readers!
> 
> Actually, we're not quite done with this story, dear readers. After a brief cool down period to work on/finish up a few other projects, I'll be combining all eight chapters together. The resulting work will be posted as it's own story, and I hoped you'll give a read!

**Author's Note:**

> After a series of emotion heavy Plague Tale stories, I thought I'd shake things up with a serialized, fanservicy action adventure story set in the world of HZD. I tentatively think this will be about four parts and hope to have part two up for you all soon.


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